Modern communications systems have developed over the last 120 years from the circuit-switched public telephone network (PSTN) to an all-digital integrated-media communications transport system such as the global communications network referred to as the Internet. Businesses and other institutions look to modern communications systems for more than just services. Businesses and others look for assistance in improving productivity, providing better customer service, and assisting in other areas. In fact, the effective utilization of modern communication systems is typically considered to be a prerequisite to successful competition in the information- and service-based economies of the early twenty-first century.
To successfully compete, a business or similar institution may have to have the following communication tools: effective call processing; integrated messaging (voice, fax, and data); a presence on a global communications network such as a Web site or other presence on the World Wide Web; electronic commerce (e-commerce); automated facsimile (fax) processing with broadcast capabilities; effective customer/client connectivity with information sharing (so-called Extranets); knowledge management; file and print services; remote access for telecommuting and traveling members of the business and other people such as customers, vendors, and the like.
Today, however, generally only the largest businesses have more than a few of these competitive communications tools. Small-to-medium-sized businesses and similar institutions generally are equipped with telephone equipment and a simple fax machine. It is unusual for a small-to-medium-sized business to have additional competitive communications tools.
What prevents a small-to-medium-sized business from having advanced competitive communications tools? An answer to this question is that the acquisition, maintenance, use, and service of such communication tools are difficult challenges for the business to overcome.
For example, consider the difficulties encountered by a small-to-medium-sized business in the acquisition of basic communications tools such as telephone equipment, a fax machine, and e-mail or a Web site. For the telephone equipment, the business purchases connections to the telephone network from the local or other carrier and may negotiate a service contract with the carrier. The voice lines of the telephone equipment, of course, must be connected with a telephone switch to provide inbound/outbound access and intra-company voice communications. The business then may spend some time in making a decision on facts relating to the type, characteristics, and costs of the long distance service the business is to receive. One or more dedicated fax lines are purchased, as well as a fax machine, and related peripherals and software as appropriate. If the business deems it critical to have a Web site, the business hires a consultant to produce and maintain the site. The site must be “hosted” by a service provider, meaning another vendor to select, contact, negotiate with, pay, etc. Employees may require e-mail, Internet e-mail, and Web access, which tools may require yet another vendor or vendors and a high-speed connection with local-area network connectivity. The list of tasks for the business with respect to communications tools goes on, but these examples show the challenges facing the small-to-medium-sized business.
Given the difficulties in the acquisition of basic communications tools, the acquisition, maintenance, use, and service of advanced communications tools may be even more difficult. A small-to-medium-sized business or similar institution typically does not have the resources (personnel, financial, space, or time) to acquire, use, maintain, and service such additional communications tools. In contrast, large businesses may have the appropriate resources so as to avoid the resource problems faced by small-to-medium-sized businesses. These problems at least include: the large number and variety of available products for use in modern communication systems, the relative size and complexity of such systems, the difficulties in information gathering, procurement, installation, maintenance and service of such large, complex systems, and the high costs associated with such large, complex systems.
For example, a large business may have a dedicated in-house staff of communications and/or information professionals having a wide array of knowledge, experience, and skills on creating integrated communications systems designed to meet the needs of the business. But the small-to-medium-sized business often cannot afford an in-house staff nor hire the consultants that would be needed to acquire the communications tools that would help the business compete with other businesses.
Some of the problems associated with modern communications systems also may stem from the fact that many different technologies are necessary in the operation of such systems. For example, the following technologies may be necessary to process a given media stream: voice, fax, data, remote access services, and their accompanying and associated applications. A large business may commission a custom communications system to incorporate as many of the technologies as the large business decides it may need or use. A small-to-medium-sized business, on the other hand, generally does not have the financial (and other) resources necessary to obtain a custom communications system. The small-to-medium-sized business is left with the option of piecing together different technologies in the form of different products to achieve a modern communication system that is probably only minimally acceptable for the needs of the business.
The problem of the small-to-medium-sized business in piecing together a modern communications system from off-the-shelf parts is complicated by the nature of the communications business and suppliers of such off-the-shelf parts. Nearly every piece of communications equipment has one type of input, one function, and one type of output (viz., a fax terminal, data modem, or telephone switch). This uni-functionality comes about because the producers of such products may only have the expertise to develop and market one functional entity. End-users (including small-to-medium-sized businesses) are deprived of the benefit of integrated communications systems.
Thus, small-to-medium-sized businesses face the problem that each of these communications technologies or tools may be developed, produced, offered, and serviced by a respectively different company—typically one technology per company. A company generally confines itself to producing products in its area of technology. Nevertheless, there may be a large variety of products with differing features on similar technologies. The result may be a modern communications system including many different technologies with each technology handled by a product obtained from a respectively different company.
A suggested solution to the problems of different technologies being handled by products of respectively different companies is the use of a common platform wherein the different technologies may be integrated. However, even if a common platform including the media-processing resources and applications required for modern communications is provided, the small-to-medium-sized businesses and similar institutions are still faced with problems.
Remaining problems at least include the difficulties in procurement, installation, maintenance, and service of a modern communications system and the high costs associated with such systems. The typical small-to-medium-sized business does not have the personnel and other resources to overcome the problems. For example, unlike a large business, even a medium-sized business is unlikely to employ a full-time communications and/or information-technology staff. Such a dedicated staff may be necessary to address the issues with respect to information gathering, procurement, installation, maintenance, and service of a modern communications system. Moreover, the staff may be required to train and support the other employees of the business with respect to the communications tools.
Communications-equipment vendors generally are aware of the needs of the small-to-medium-sized businesses. The benefits of integrating the multitude of communications functions onto a common platform as a solution to these problems have been mentioned. But the efforts generally have not met with success for at least the following reasons:                The selection of applications/functions is limited because no single company typically has the competencies to develop all required communications applications/functions.        The resulting limited-function communications system is still unaffordable to most of the small-to-medium-sized businesses.        The resulting communication system of the common platform generally requires trained on-premises personnel to configure and maintain.        The resulting communication system of the common platform generally cannot be easily upgraded to support new applications/functions or upgraded applications/functions.        The resulting communication system of the common platform typically requires external enabling functionality, such as network connectivity, to become operational.        
Therefore, except for telephone equipment and a relatively simple fax machine, small-to-medium-sized businesses typically attempt to operate without advanced communications tools. Without such advanced communications tools, the small-to-medium-sized businesses are encountering growing difficulties and disadvantages in the marketplace as the effective utilization of communications and information technology becomes a prerequisite to competition in the “New Economy” of the early twenty-first century.
Moreover, the communications and information-processing needs of the small-to-medium-sized businesses are shared by any size organization intent on providing a budget-constrained service, such as educational institutions, non-profit organizations, governmental entities, and medical service providers. All have the same needs: they must communicate with the people involved with the organization to improve the effectiveness of value delivery.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method that allows individuals and organizations to access and make use of advanced communications tools and communications services in an easy and efficient manner so as to avoid having to separately obtain, install, maintain and train on the tools and services from different vendors and service providers.